Sustainable development strategies – Drivers for coherence and competitiveness of regional policies

The session focused on the experiences of a partnership of seven regions, Puglia (IT), Piemonte (IT), Sardegna (IT), Liguria (IT), Marche (IT), Caras-Severin (RO), Channel Islands (UK), in defining and implementing Sustainable Development Regional Strategies. The speakers shared insights on how their regions have promoted coherence in policy planning, institutional mechanisms for SDG alignment, and experiences of multilevel collaboration. The session also highlighted the Italian experience, presented by the moderator, an official from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), illustrating Italy's national role in supporting and coordinating regional sustainability strategies.
Key Themes and Discussion Points:
1. Coherence in Regional Policies and Objective Alignment;
Participants emphasized that achieving sustainable development requires the integration of economic, environmental, and social policies. A coherent approach ensures regional policy integration and increasing efficiency, since sustainability objectives are aligned across sectors.
For the Italian Regions, the definition of the regional Sustainable Development Strategies represented the opportunity to build a Strategic Framework that integrated and aligned the overarching objectives deriving from the United Nations 2030 Agenda (SDGs) and the National Strategy for Sustainable Development with the regional programming documents.
In the Region of Caras-Severin the Sustainable Development Strategy has brought coherence to the economic policies to encourage entrepreneurial investments in the culture and tourism sector and the protection of natural resources.
The Channel Islands – Guernsey e Jersey – are working to develop frameworks that align their key role as leading International Finance Centres (IFCs) towards advancing sustainable finance practices contributing to significant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes.
2. Multi-level Governance
Regional coherence is driven by collaboration between national, regional, and local authorities. A vertical and horizontal integration and alignment of policies and strategies across different levels of government are key o ensure that regional priorities match national and global sustainability goals. Italy’s experience shows the importance of a strong national framework that guides regional efforts, ensuring that sustainability initiatives are coherent, efficient, and aligned with broader international targets. The Italian Ministry facilitated the institutional coordination: the establishment of inter-regional platforms for knowledge exchange and collaboration allowed regions to share best practices and challenges in implementing their Regional Strategies for Sustainable Development (RSDS). This has enhanced cross-regional learning and contributed to a more unified approach to sustainability at the national level.
3. Institutional Mechanisms for enhancing Stakeholder Engagement
The discussion moved to the institutional frameworks that regions have established to engage various stakeholders in RSDS definition. All regions within the partnership created inclusive governance models that ensure collaboration between local authorities, private sector actors, civil society, and academic institutions. The Regions have chosen different forms and paths of consultation and involvement of stakeholders: Forum, Laboratories, Committees, working groups, debates. Some Italian regions, such as Liguria and Apulia, based their efforts on the enhancement of Centres for Education on Environment and Sustainable Development.
4. Discussion and Political Debate
The session was highly engaging, with active participation from the audience. The presence of the President of the Puglia region, Michele Emiliano, sparked a lively debate, which became particularly animated during discussions about the effectiveness of Sustainable Development Strategies in addressing the challenges of severe regional depopulation. This topic resonated strongly with the audience, given that many regions, particularly in southern Italy and parts of Eastern Europe, are facing those challenges. The conversation evolved into a broader political debate that revealed the political complexities tied to regional development, illustrating that sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing key demographic and social issues.